Chatham Woman Who Was Run Over By Car Is 'Near Bankruptcy'

CHATHAM, NJ - Maureen Mathews was trying to cross Main Street and North Passaic to meet her husband for dinner, but she never made it. Instead, the 61-year-old Chatham resident was run over by a car while in a crosswalk and the price of her recovery may be the loss of her home.

Mathews underwent a long recovery from a litany of injuries: a broken pelvic bone, sacrum, bruised sternum, cracked ribs, collapsed lung, ruptured bladder, broken clavicle, gashes on her head, a puncture wound inside her knee and numerous cuts and bruises.

But the financial burden of her protracted recovery has prompted the launch of a GoFundMe page to help has been set up by sister-in-law Susan Storey.

"Maureen and Bill's lives were turned upside down in an instant as a result of this accident. Maureen continues with physical therapy and is making progress. But the future is uncertain," Storey said. "Can they stay in their home?"

The Mathews were eventually hit with out-of-pocket rehab bills alongside living expenses. With Maureen unable to return to work and Bill having to give up his job to care for Maureen.

The accident occurred on Nov. 29, 2017, right after Mathews had gotten off of work. As she crossed the intersection at Main Street, an SUV traveling on North Passaic Avenue turned left onto Main Street and struck her. Mathews was thrown up onto the roof of the car and then back down to the pavement where the SUV ran her over with both the left front and back tires.

The driver, Mary Quigley, also from Chatham, allegedly told police she was making a left from North Passaic Avenue onto Main Street, and did not see Mathews in the crosswalk. Quigley was principal of Washington Avenue School until she retired in 2016.

Storey said the team at Morristown Medical Center went to work and the head of the trauma team told Bill that Maureen had life-threatening injuries.

"The team fought against time to stabilize Maureen, who was in shock and had a systolic blood pressure of 50," Story said. "In fact, Bill and Nick (the couple's son) later learned that Maureen had to be resuscitated several times."

Once Mathews was stabilized, she was transported to the Intensive Care Unit where she spent nearly the entire month of December in a medically induced coma. During that time she underwent multiple surgeries to repair her pelvic bone and sacrum and eventually weaned off the heavy medications and respirator.

After her sixth surgery, Mathews was discharged to Morris Hills Rehabilitation Center. The conclusion of the doctors there was that Mathews, at best, would need a cane or walker for the rest of her life and, at worst, a wheelchair, Storey said.

The additional challenge came in April, when Mathews' in-patient therapy coverage came to an end. Her family had to pay $5,000 out of pocket to allow her to complete her rehab.

"Bill and Maureen's automobile insurance limit was exhausted in December 2017," Storey said. "Maureen's medical coverage, CIGNA, through her employer, Prudential, kicked in immediately thereafter. Unfortunately, CIGNA placed a lien against the policy of the woman who hit Maureen, so it is doubtful that Bill and Maureen will see any of that money."

Storey noted that Mathews has filed suit against Quigley, but the outcome of that is not certain.

"There is a good chance that the woman who hit Maureen won't have enough assets to bridge the financial gap that Maureen and Bill are experiencing," Storey said.

Donations can be made here.

(Photo courtesy of GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner)

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